


Coming Home

by yellowbell



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Artist Clarke Griffin, Bellarke AU Week, Bellarke Fic Week, Endgame Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin, F/M, Protective Bellamy Blake, The 100 (TV) Season 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:21:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29732403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yellowbell/pseuds/yellowbell
Summary: Clarke and Bellamy awaken from a hundred year slumber with unchanged feelings they are still hesitant to face. Until Madi sees the need to step in.
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin
Comments: 8
Kudos: 41





	1. THE DRINK THEY DESERVED

**Author's Note:**

> A short Bellarke fanfiction, set right after the last scene on S5:E13. Just something to feed our heads and hearts ;)
> 
> I do not own any of the characters nor plot from The 100. All rights belong to the creators. Scenes are purely imagines, having been unable to watch S6 and S7.
> 
> And so we meet again.

CLARKE bathed in the dazzling glow from the two suns that were visible right outside the wide glass window of Eligius IV. She had a sketchbook propped on her lap where she had been drawing this past hour at the bridge. Her hand glided easily over the paper, as she executed the final touches on her masterpiece. 

When she was a kid, Clarke was fed with numerous stories and vivid descriptions about the Ground. So when the time came that she had to come down with the rest of the hundred, she kind of knew what to expect. Well, except for the Grounders, obviously. That part was a huge surprise.

So as she stared at the unknown white and blue planet that loomed before her, she tried to imagine what it would be like inside it. Was it just a second Earth? They did seem to have similar hues. 

Clarke's sketch was a place with large foliages and thick stems, mainly to accommodate twice the usual amount of sunlight. The huge flowers weren't really flowers, but modified leaves of every imaginable color. It was like one of the dreamy forests described in fairytales. At the center of the clearing was a deer much like the one they saw during their first day on the Ground, but this time, it had four heads.

Clarke sighed as she stared unsatisfyingly at her work. It was the best that she could do. The grief of losing Monty and Harper still weighed her down.

"Hey, Princess," Bellamy suddenly called out.

Clarke looked back, smirking despite herself.

"A hundred and twenty-five years later and you still haven't thought of your own nickname?" She asked.

Bellamy smiled. Clarke was a lot of things. She was a leader. A fighter. The great Wanheda, Commander of Death. A doctor's assistant. And now, a mom of one. 

But to him, she will always be the girl who saw through his walls, and he will always be grateful for that. Eversince that day trip way back in the Grounder forests, Bellamy had vowed to become the knight alongside this one-in-a-million princess, who was much more than the glitz and glamour, but was instead the one who bravely wore the crown that heavy circumstances had unwittingly thrusted to her head.

Not that Clarke actually needed his protection. She was this stubborn but smart girl who always seemed to have a way out of difficult situations. But she was his princess and he was her knight. For Bellamy feared more for her life much more than she feared for her own.

And he was glad that she was not that classic Clarke today. Not the one rummaging through the stuff that Monty had left behind. Not the one making that to-do list after they land on the mysterious planet. After years of cryo, she had decided to test if her hands still worked the same way. Of course, they still did. This was artist Clarke.

"Does it matter?" He finally replied.

Bellamy's eyes peeked at her drawing.

"That's beautiful by the way," he commented.

Clarke consciously hid it from his view.

"Maybe it's not close to half of what's in there," she sighed. "After all we've been through, after everything that we've done, I always wondered if we still deserved to survive. I mean..it almost seemed like it's our homes that were driving us away."

Clarke watched Bellamy position himself beside her. The both of them were now sitting cross-legged on the metal floor.

"First the Ark, then the Ground, then Eden. Why did it have to be so hard to fight against our extinction? It's almost as if someone wants us wiped out."

"Hey, don't think that," Bellamy said gently. "Maybe this is our second chance. I mean third? Fourth? We could always try again, you know."

Clarke shook her head.

"Oh I bet you life over there's not all rainbows. My sketch is delusional. For sure, it'd be us versus space Grounders again or whatsoever. It's only another fight."

Bellamy didn't know what to say, but he agreed with Clarke. It would be sheer luck if they'd found a brand new home solely made for them. There had to be inhabitants in there. And he wasn't sure if they were welcoming enough.

"I agree," he finally said after a long stretch of silence. "But I don't think it's a question of whether we deserve to survive or not. Survival had always been up to us. We chose to survive because there's still this strong will to live, don't you think?"

Clarke didn't answer. Her eyes focused on the first sun. She remembered her solitary days shortly after Praimfaya where she almost killed herself. She didn't want to feel that way ever again. 

Her eyes started to hurt so she looked away, and faced Bellamy instead.

"So. Have you and Jordan found anything?"

Now this is classic Clarke, Bellamy thought, almost smiling.

"Well, yes," he said, fishing out an emerald bottle from under his gray jacket. "Would you look at that? Turns out Monty tried to make beer in memory of Jasper. This must have aged really well."

Clarke took a closer look. It was actually a transparent bottle with green contents. She made a face.

"Please tell me that's not algae beer. There's no way I'm drinking that thing."

Bellamy laughed.

"Clarke!" He cried. "A hundred and twenty-five years later and we can finally share the drink we only got to talk about on the Ground, but you won't because it's green? Oh wait til you taste this."

Bellamy pried the cap open. He smelled it quickly and then took a chug.

"Hey!" Clarke cried out. 

She grabbed his wrist to stop him from drinking. She felt her stomach drop as she watched him recklessly take something whose primary ingredient once induced his sister into coma. It seemed like she also cared for his life more than he did for his own.

"What, now you'd want some?" Bellamy asked. He was licking his lips. "It's good."

Clarke couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Fine," she finally said.

Clarke took the bottle and took a sip.

"So?"

"You're right," she shrugged. "It tastes great."

She took more and passed the bottle back to Bellamy. They did this until not a single drop was left. 

Clarke was feeling a little bit dizzy. She hoped it was the alcohol part that messed up her system and not the algae. She was so done falling asleep. Bellamy must have noticed this, because he inched closer so Clarke could lean her head on his shoulder. He felt a little dizzy himself, but he was still sober enough to realize that the weird, unexplainable feeling in his stomach everytime Clarke was this close never left him. 

Not after a hundred and twenty-five years.


	2. TO BURN TOGETHER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, readers! I got too excited to share my story with you so here’s the second chap. Hope you like it! Thank you so much for the kudos they’re well-appreciated!!! <3

BELLAMY wasn't sure if Clarke was asleep. He put his arm around her and she didn't move. He guessed that she was.

It was always a peaceful feeling for Bellamy to watch Clarke fall asleep. It's as if she had discarded her crown even for a short while. She was a normal person, and not the leader who was painted bad by the hard decisions she was forced to make.

He remembered Clarke being surprised earlier that he was no longer mad at her for leaving him in the pits to die. It was fair. He once left her to burn but she was forgiving just the same.

It still haunted him though. This scene was close to how he was back on the ring: a bottle of beer in hand while looking out the glass window towards a burning Earth that he thought had scorched Clarke to death.

It was his greatest regret, close to that time when he took part in the slaughter of those three hundred innocent Grounders who meant no harm. He left Clarke to talk aimlessly to that crappy radio everyday for years when he was up on the ring finally accepting that he'd never see her again. He was busy filling the hole Clarke left with beer, and with another woman.

What Bellamy said earlier was true. If survival was indeed a question if one deserved it or not, then he certainly shouldn't be here. He didn't deserve to survive.

Not after going to space to preserve himself even if it meant leaving the girl he claimed to truly love. 

Not after learning that Monty chose not to put himself in cryo, because what good would this new home be without Harper to share it with?

What good was the ring without Clarke? Perhaps Clarke left him in the pits because she trusted Octavia enough not to kill his big brother despite the ruthlessness she tried so hard to pose. But Bellamy had no excuse. He should have stayed and burned with her.

Silent tears ran down his face. He used his free hand to wipe them.

"I'm sorry, Princess," he whispered. "I'm so sorry. I never got to say this but I'm sorry for leaving you. You always had your reasons on why you had to leave me—us. But I didn't. At least I shouldn't have let you burn alone."

Maybe it was the algae beer. Or maybe it was just all the bottled up feelings finally getting unscrewed.

"I'm still lucky enough to have you here with me, safe and warm in my arms, sitting before this planet that gives us the hope of starting over."

He lightly kissed her hair.

"It wasn't your fault that the radio was crappy. And for the record, I'm a Nightblood so I was meant to survive. Having to see your burnt remains with my own eyes would have killed me instead," Clarke suddenly said, raising her head up. "You did what you had to do. I should know."

Bellamy was taken aback.

"I-I thought you w-were asleep," he stammered.

"Well, I personally think we've had enough of that," Clarke pointed out. "I was only getting dizzy so I closed my eyes."

She suddenly stood up.

"We better get going and help Jordan so we'd have something concrete to share to the people once we wake them up," she said. "You don't think it's right to play them the message?"

"No.." He replied almost absent-mindedly as he got up.

"I thought so too. C'mon."

Bellamy gently grabbed Clarke's wrist.

"Wait."

"Bellamy what—?"

She stopped at the intense look in his eyes.

"You do know right?" He asked.

"Know wh-what?" Her voice cracked.

"We haven't had much time alone. Or if we ever did, you always had to cut me off."

"Bellamy, what is this? I think..I think you've had too much of that drink."

"Drunk or not I will still say the same thing, Clarke," he said, grabbing both of her hands. "Look, this our only time of peace okay? And we barely had that. You said it yourself. Once we come down, it will be just like the Ground all over again. So I want to take this chance to finally tell you—"

"Don't say it," Clarke ordered.

"Here we go again—"

"For heaven's sake Bellamy! Echo's as good as in the next room, unaware that the man she loves never even thought of her once he woke up. I've been through this before. I'm not doing it again. You..you had already made your choice on the ring," she said, pulling her hands away from his grasp.

"I thought you said it was okay because I did what I had to do," Bellamy whispered.

"To leave me, yes, but to give me up?" Clarke sighed. "I..I'm not so sure."

He actually saw pain reflected in her eyes. It hurt him.

"C-Clarke—"

"I remember you asked how I survived alone," she confessed, cutting him off for the nth time. "It's true. I wasn't alone because I had Madi. But it wasn't just her. It was also the thought of you that kept me going..the thought of you finally coming back d-down. O-Of coming back home."

Her voice broke.

"I never knew if you made it to the ring, Bellamy. I could only hope that you all did. But there I was, talking pointlessly to someone who didn't even give a damn about me anymore."

Bellamy shook his head vigorously.

"That's never true," he insisted. "No way."

Clarke shrugged, and turned to go.

"What were you saying to me on the radio.. all those years?" Bellamy tried to ask.

Clarke stopped to look back at him.

"That's no longer for you to know," she replied before walking away, leaving Bellamy dumbfounded.


	3. ALMOST A FAMILY

CLARKE, BELLAMY, AND JORDAN were now in the cryo room, preparing to wake everyone up. The three of them were done planning their initial moves after landing. They decided to divide the 411 people in the ship into five different groups—scouts, security, hunters, medical, and tech.

"So. Are we going to mass revive everyone or do you want to wake certain people up in advance?" Jordan asked.

"I think I'm gonna go wake Madi up first," Clarke said. "She's the Commander after all, so she has to know what we've discussed."

"Okay," Jordan agreed.

He tinkered for a moment with the control buttons, found the name Madi Griffin, and pressed the Open Chamber button.

Madi's chamber unlocked. Clarke rushed towards her. As Madi opened her eyes, she bolted up and wrapped her arms around her happily.

"Clarke! I've missed you!" She said excitedly. Madi saw Bellamy and she grinned at him. "Hey, Bellamy!"

Bellamy smiled at her and gave her a small wave. Madi looked questionably at Jordan as she pulled away from her hug with Clarke.

"I don't remember seeing you before," she remarked. "Are you Eligius?"

"Hey, no way. I'm Jordan. Clarke and Bellamy are my adoptive parents, too, so I'm kind of like your older brother, I guess," he replied. "That's one, big happy family, yay!"

"I am technically older than you if we count the cryo years," Madi pointed out.

Clarke cleared her throat loudly.

"Uh Jordan.. Monty and Harper might have missed out on a certain detail?" She asked. "Bellamy and I we're..we're not together."

"Oh," Jordan said surprisingly. "Yeah, they might've forgotten to mention that. Or perhaps it was one of those times when I wasn't paying attention. Sorry. It's just that in their stories, it was always Clarke and Bellamy, Bellamy and Clarke. Wake Clarke and Bellamy first. So I really thought—"

Jordan stopped talking abruptly at the look that Clarke gave him.

"He's seeing someone else," she said flatly.

"Oh. I see. Do..Do you want me to wake her up too or something?" He asked Bellamy.

Bellamy shook his head. 

"No, we do it with everyone else. After Clarke explains everything to the Commander."

"Right," Jordan said. "Let's take lil sis to the bridge then."

Clarke shot him a warning look.

"Sorry," he said, smiling playfully as he scratched his head.

***

MADI couldn't take her eyes off the beautiful planet before her. After a while, she finally tore her eyes away and faced the three of them.

"So. Isn't there a way that only the four of us would go down to check if the place is safe for everyone else before waking them up?" She asked after hearing their current situation.

Bellamy made a weird noise. He was trying to keep himself from laughing.

"Sorry? But what's funny?" Clarke asked annoyingly.

"I'm sorry. I just thought..she sounded exactly like you. That's definitely something you would suggest."

Clarke rolled her eyes.

"Madi, please carry on."

"I mean, it would be too risky for four hundred of us to come swarming out of an alien ship. We're an easy and open target," she continued.

Clarke stared. She was still in awe at times. She never envisioned Madi to talk like this. She was no longer the kid who cried each time she would cut off her bedtime stories at the good parts.

"Well, yes, that's why the people from security group would be there for cover," Jordan said.

"No. We're done sacrificing people here. Wonkru or Eligius alike. The burden is upon us. We should get there first."

"Madi I..I appreciate your suggestion but it's hard. This ship has no escape pod and who knows where that wireless control for the chambers went. Either way, we still have to take the ship with us. It would be too risky to have everyone still asleep once we land. We don't know what could be waiting for us. We need as much manpower as possible," Clarke contradicted.

Madi paused for a while, considering what Clarke had just suggested.

"Hmm. Fine. But the scouts get to come out first. And I would lead them myself," Madi said with finality.

Clarke felt what Abby must have felt when she was out there recklessly negotiating with ferocious Grounders. But she could not stop Madi from spreading her wings. She was meant for this. All she could do now was to stay alongside her.

"Fine," Clarke agreed. "I'll be with you."

"Me too," Bellamy joined in.

"Uh," Jordan hesitated. "I only ever got to know everything through stories and had zero firsthand experience. You wouldn't mind if I chose the tech group?"

"No. Not at all," Clarke and Bellamy said in unison.

"Right. Thanks, folks!" Jordan said, but he cowered at the glare that Clarke gave him. "Sorry I..let's go and wake everyone up then."


	4. THE HEDA’S FLIGHT

CLARKE was on Abby's side once her chamber opened. She watched her as she opened her eyes.

"Hey, Mom," she greeted.

Abby bolted upright.

"Hey. Hey, baby," she said as she smiled and hugged her daughter.

But the smile faded quickly.

"Marcus?" Abby asked.

"Still in cryo. Until we figure out what we can do for him," Clarke replied sadly.

"Okay. Let me..let me get to Medical so I can have another look at their supplies," Abby said, hurriedly getting up to her feet.

"Mom, wait. We have some news. You've got to listen to this first," Clarke said.

Out of the corner of her eye, Clarke could see Bellamy and Echo snogging each other, with Octavia standing dissapprovingly behind them. Clarke met Jordan's eyes.

This was what I was talking about, she silently told him.

Jordan made a face. Clarke laughed despite herself. She looked around and waved at her friends. This happy reunion wasn't meant to last long.

"Everyone, please listen up," she suddenly said. She saw Bellamy and Echo finally break apart. "I know you've all just woken up, but the news is too important to wait. The Commander has something to say to all of us."

Clarke motioned for Madi to come forward. Madi cleared her throat before speaking.

"Happy wake-up day, everyone," Madi said. "I know it seems just like yesterday when we narrowly escaped the explosion at Shadow Valley—Eden. But as we stand here today, that moment was already a hundred and twenty-five years back."

There were gasps and confused looks from the people in the crowd.

"I..I thought the cryo was only meant to last for ten years?" Raven asked in surprise.

"Yes, but everything didn't go as planned. The Earth never recovered," Madi said. "But thanks to Monty and Harper Green, and their son Jordan here, who dedicated half of their lives to search a new home for all of us."

"Monty and Harper? They didn't..they didn't go to sleep?" Murphy asked. Emori, who was beside him, broke into tears when she realized this.

Madi shook her head sadly.

"The price of their grave sacrifice lies below this very ship. An unknown planet which we know nothing of except for one thing: it is habitable."

There were wows from the crowd.

"So. I must ask each and everyone of you to not let their sacrifice go to waste. And that is by setting aside our differences, setting aside the past that is more than a hundred years behind us now. This new home is our second chance, maybe a third or even fourth for some."

Clarke was looking at Madi with teary-eyed admiration.

"Starting today, we live with no harsh laws."

Octavia kept her eyes on the floor.

"But before you do something against your morale, I beg you to rest in the fact that you were saved and lived long enough to be here for a much greater purpose. Prove to yourself that you're worthy of that saving."

Madi got numerous nods from the crowd.

"We have an hour before we land. You have all the time to make yourselves comfortable. It was a long sleep after all."

The people bowed their heads at Madi respectfully, as they moved out to disperse from the gathering.

"I have no words," Clarke beamed at her child and hugged her tight. "I am so proud of you."

"Thanks. I was quite nervous that no one would listen," she sighed when she pulled away.

"Don't worry, Madi," Octavia chimed in, suddenly appearing behind them. "You did good. It should have been you in that Bunker."

"Octavia.." Clarke started.

"That's not true. You were the one they needed during that time," Madi said.

Octavia nodded glumly.

"Hey," Raven greeted as she approached them. She was walking arm in arm with Shaw. "Can we see this new planet thing? I can't believe we're going to pilot immediately after a long nap."

"Sure. Jordan here would take you," Clarke said, half-glancing at her anxious mom. 

Jordan nodded enthusiastically. He had just shook hands with Murphy and seemed overjoyed.

"Sure!" He exclaimed.

"We need to go to Medical and see what we can do for Kane. Do you want to come with us, Madi?"

"Uh, no," she decided. "But Clarke, you still kept a bunch of our stuff right? Where are they?"

"Well, yeah. If I'm not mistaken, all the luggage were dumped on the last stateroom in this corridor," Clarke guessed.

"Right. Thanks. I'll see you later, okay?”

Clarke nodded, as she gave Madi a quick peck on the cheek.


	5. HEY, BELLAMY (Part 1)

MADI reached the room Clarke was talking about. She was right. Madi immediately recognized her black backpack from the pile. She practically ran towards it and unzipped it open. Madi didn't bother to rummage carefully through the contents, but instead she turned the pack upside-down to pour them all at once.

She sighed with relief when she spotted her battered sketchbook. It was safe. She snatched it from the floor and hurriedly turned towards the door when someone suddenly blocked her exit.

It was Bellamy.

"Hey Madi, are you alright? Why are you wandering around all alone? Where's Clarke?"

Madi didn't answer.

"Where's your girlfriend?" She asked back.

"E-Echo?" Bellamy was taken aback by the question.

"Why, is there anyone else?"

Bellamy swallowed. What was this all about?

"No, I—what's that supposed to mean?"

Madi sighed heavily.

"I don't want to do this. I don't want to play Cupid. I don't want to meddle with these kind of stuff when there's a lot going on but I...I love Clarke. And I'd do anything for her as much as she would for me."

"I..I don't understand."

"Six years Bellamy. Clarke and I spent six years together in that valley. And as much as Clarke wanted to convince herself that the quiet and humble life she spent with me was all that she ever needed, I knew it wasn't. I noticed that her eyes always wandered towards the heavens. Towards you," Madi told him.

Bellamy felt the need to lean on the metal walls for support. For some reason what he was learning now was making him weak in the knees.

"So, I wanted to give you this," she said.

Madi held out her sketchbook to him. Bellamy took it, his fingers shaking slightly. He flipped it open and he found a charcoal sketch of himself looking back at him. There were more on the succeeding pages, along with those of Octavia, Raven, Monty, and the rest of their circle. 

"I told Clarke that Octavia was my favorite. Well, she really was. But something always lured me to the man with the big heart. I couldn't tell Clarke that you were my most favorite, because obviously, you were hers. I mean..she always talked about you differently from everyone else."

Bellamy tried hard to stop his tears from streaming down. He didn't want to cry in front of the Commander. That was pathetic.

"There was this certain glow in her eyes when she spoke of you. Even longing. It took awhile for my young mind to understand that part. At first I thought it was crazy. Talking into the void by yourself, uncertain if you were even heard. But Clarke did it anyway so I let her. She found peace in that," Madi said.

Bellamy felt that his chest was about to burst. It took him almost a minute to respond.

"Wow, I—thank you. Thank you for this sketchbook.. for everything that you've told me," he said in a low voice.

"Oh no, I'm not done," Madi said. "I know Clarke would never have the courage to tell you the things she said over the radio. She always made sure that I wasn't around everytime she did that, but I was a sneaky kid. There were times I intentionally eavesdropped. And there were times when she thought I was asleep when I was actually only pretending to be."

"You mean..?" Bellamy asked.

"Yes, I've wrote some of them down on the last pages. Exact words," Madi said proudly. "I did this because I also prayed hard for you to come back down as much as Clarke did. She just didn't know it. I..I wanted to see her happy. I wanted her to feel whole again."

Bellamy exhaled a ragged breath. 

"Madi I..I couldn't thank you enough," he whispered.

"Save your thanks after you've read it," Madi said. "I'm gonna leave you alone."

Bellamy made sure that Madi was gone before he slumped down on the metal floor. He wasn't sure if he was ready to read just yet. The guilt of leaving—no, of giving her up—would definitely become heavier this time.

His fingers shook as he skipped to the last few pages of the sketchbook. The words were written in Madi's scrawny handwriting using what seemed to be charcoal. Some parts were not very readable so he had to look closer.

_DAY 1,095_

_Hey, Bellamy. Guess what? I taught Madi how to fire a gun today. I believe she's old enough to learn to protect herself, she's 8. Though I wish you were the one who taught her like the way you did to me during our day trip. Your aim was always better than mine. But I guess she'd have to settle with my average skills, for now. ___

____

_DAY 1,112_

____

_Hey, Bellamy. We had a really good dinner today. We found some huge crabs wandering in the river. How's Monty's algae? I hope you still have enough to last for three more years. We'd save some seafood for you once you come down._

____

_DAY 1,207_

____

_Hey, Bellamy. For the first time in a long time, it actually rained today. Madi and I, we had a good bath and played a little. We couldn't tell if it was still black rain, because we wouldn't know the difference anyway._

____

_I really wondered why it rained. That wasn't you crying from missing me too much, was it? Kidding. Save your tears when we meet again._

____

Bellamy was positively crying now. He was a snotty mess. He harshly wiped his face with the hem of his shirt. Where was the algae beer when he needed it?

____

____

____


	6. HEY, BELLAMY (Part 2)

_DAY 1,418_

_Hey, Bellamy. Madi's already fast asleep in her bed. I guess she got tired from all the sketching. She's a natural! I didn't have a hard time teaching her at all. We started with the basics..flowers, plants, objects around the house. With her skill, she'd be drawing your faces in no time._

_She knows about all of you, by the way. She says she'd like to learn how to draw Octavia first. Your sister's her favorite!_

_I'm sure Madi would recognize all of you once we get to meet again._

_DAY 1,673_

_Hey, Bellamy. I must admit that this is starting to feel depressing. Madi's already a pro and she surprised me with portraits of you. She got my descriptions insanely right!_

_That made me miss you more.. All of you._

_I'll show you the sketches when you get back._

_DAY 1,701_

_Hey, Bellamy._

_I don't know why I'm looking at the sky while crying tonight._

_All these years of no contact..I guess it had sinked in that maybe you didn't make it to the ring after all._

_Maybe I didn't turn that stupid dish in time?_

_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry._

_But I'm not letting you go. Not ever. There's always this hope burning in me that you're alive._

_I wouldn't let it die out._

_I'll keep it ablaze until we meet again._

_DAY 1,825_

_Hey, Bellamy._

_Today was supposed to be the day you know._

_Five years later. That was the timeframe we all had agreed to right?_

_So why..why haven't you come back down?_

_Madi and I prepared a feast. But I hadn't eaten all day. We were really expecting you to arrive._

_I'm still out here looking up at the night sky, though.. just endlessly hoping for your ship to miraculously appear._

_The day's not over yet after all._

_DAY 2,000_

_Hey, Bellamy._

_I think Madi officially thinks I'm crazy. I couldn't blame her. We had a little fight. She told me to stop talking to you. She said that if you were alive then you should've come down months ago._

_But I refuse to believe that._

_I think a part of me would know if you were actually dead. Because that part would have died with you, too._

_But it's very much alive._

_We'll meet again, won't we?_

_DAY 2,143_

_Hey, Bellamy._

_This is one of those times where I hate to use my head._

_Because right now, it's definitely telling me that the only possible explanation as to why you haven't come down is because.. because you're no longer alive._

_It hurts. It hurts because I need you. I still need you._

_Here. Right here beside me._

_I still need you even if there's no longer a war that we should stop. Even if there's no longer an attack that we should plan._

_I still need you even if there's no longer an apocalypse to prepare for. Even if there are no longer big decisions that I should make._

_I need you, Bellamy._

_I need you, even in these quiet and happy times._

_I need you, even in this time of peace._

_I need you. I..I.._

_My heart tells me to wait until you finally come home to me. So, I will._

_May we meet again._

That was the last of Madi's entry. Bellamy sobbed hard as he hugged the sketchbook to his chest.

"Forgive me, Clarke. Forgive me," he whispered repeatedly between his sobs. "Forgive me."


	7. OUT OF THE CAGE

BELLAMY sensed a sudden movement nearby. He wiped his face hastily and looked up.

"So, there you are. Echo said you suddenly wandered off," Octavia said.

She stopped when she saw Bellamy's swollen eyes and tear-streaked face.

"Wh-What happened?" She asked.

Bellamy cleared his throat.

"Oh, nothing much," he replied. His voice came out hoarse.

"You're literally crying like a baby and you say there's nothing going on?" She asked disbelievingly. "What's that your holding?"

Octavia noticed the sketchbook. Bellamy swallowed hard.

"It's Madi's sketchbook. Some portraits of all of us."

"And..?" She pried on. Octavia won't let it go. "You're surely not crying over some sketches."

Bellamy sighed.

"Fine. Written at the back pages are things Clarke said to me over the radio all those years after Praimfaya. Turns out Madi was secretly listening and she wrote some down for me to read once I came back."

"Wow," Octavia remarked. "Clarke must really love you. I haven't even thought of doing that. And look where that got me."

"O—"

"Bell," Octavia said, cutting his brother off. "I know I'm the least person that you should run to for love advice right now but.."

She looked at his brother dead in the eye.

"..But it is about time that you go after her. While you still can. Don't let her stray too far away that she could no longer find her way back to you anymore."

"O—"

"Don't make the same mistake as I did," Octavia said, her voice breaking.

"Hey, no. No, O. I will always find my way back," Bellamy assured her. He pulled her sister into a tight hug. "Always."

Octavia returned the hug.

"Go on, big brother. Be happy," she said as she pulled away.

At that, Bellamy finally smiled. It didn't last long, however.

"But I..I still need to fix some things," he said, sighing heavily.

***

ECHO was sitting alone on one of the dining tables inside the stateroom. She beamed the moment she saw Bellamy approaching.

"Hey. Where have you been?" She asked. "You missed out on the algae. I actually kind of missed it."

"No way, really? I'm good, thanks," he said.

She looked at him and immediately noticed the sadness in his eyes.

"Is..Is everything alright, Bellamy?" She asked.

Bellamy met her stare.

"Echo," he started. "You..You know how important you are to me, right?"

She shifted uncomfortably on her seat.

"Y-Yeah?" Echo replied. "What's this all about, Bellamy?"

He ignored her question.

"And our time on the ring," Bellamy continued. "That would always be special. But..But—" He hesitated.

Echo looked away. She could not bear to watch the eyes that lost their spark when they looked at her. Or had she imagined the spark all along?

"But the moment you came down to the Ground, it was.. it was Clarke all over again," Echo finished for him.

"E-Echo, h-how—?" Bellamy sputtered.

She smiled at him a little painfully.

"I tried so hard, Bellamy," she whispered. "I tried so hard to become the one person you needed. I guess I hadn't tried hard enough."

"That's not true. I—"

"I always saw your eyes wander towards the burning Earth," she said before he could finish. "And your eyes.. they've always burned, too. With regret. With longing. For someone who was no longer there."

Bellamy exhaled deeply.

"Can..Can you forgive me?" He asked, almost begging her to do so.

Echo smiled despite herself.

"You were too kind to give me the forgiveness I've yearned, Bellamy. Everything I did to you.. it was far worse. It wouldn't be fair not to forgive you for the crime of following your heart," Echo said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Even if it meant breaking my own."

"And I.. I will never be the person who would keep you in a cage, Bellamy," she continued in a strained voice. "You are now fr-free."

Bellamy took both of her hands in his. He held them tight one last time.

"Thank you, Echo," he said in a low voice.

"Go," she ordered him.

Bellamy nodded and let her go. Echo was left to silently watch him walk away, but the tears never came.

Only the blade of the sword could injure a true warrior.


	8. FINALLY HOME

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, readers! Thank you so much for reaching this far. This story was meant to be a one-shot so I’ve decided to update everything today since it’ll be a heavy week at work starting tomorrow. Thank you so much for the kudos! They mean a lot. I guess I’d see you in the next story? ;)
> 
> May we meet again.

CLARKE looked at her mother sympathetically. Abby seemed as distraught as she could remember. Kane's medical condition was a hopeless one. And her mom wasn't taking it well.

"Mom," Clarke said. "You have to keep it together, at least until we land. Maybe there is someone who can help us down there. Maybe they've got better tech."

Abby sighed deeply.

"Exactly what good is it to be a doctor when you can't even save the ones you love?"

"Mom, please, you know that's not true," Clarke consoled her. "You did the best you could."

"I can't.. I can't lose him, Clarke," Abby lamented. "Not like this. Not the second time around."

Clarke reached out to hug her mom. Abby snuggled closer to her daughter, resting her head on Clarke's shoulder. For once, Clarke thought, it was comforting to feel someone else’s pain just so she could forget her own.

Bellamy was watching them from the doorway of Medical, partially hidden from view. It utterly seemed like the worst possible time to barge in and confess his feelings. Bellamy started to walk away. He must find another perfect time, wait for the right moment—

"Attention to all Eligius IV passengers please proceed to the Main room," Raven's voice suddenly boomed from the PA. "I repeat. All Eligius IV passengers please proceed to the Main room. We have exactly ten minutes before descent."

"Shit!" Bellamy exclaimed. "This can't be serious."

Bellamy pulled himself together. He was a nervous wreck. But he had to do it. Clearly, there would be no time for this once they land.

"Eight minutes," Raven's voice said.

Breathing deeply, he forced his legs to walk into Medical.

"Clarke!"

He was surprised that his voice actually came out steady. Clarke bolted upright at the urgency in his voice.

"Bellamy?" Clarke said, a slightly bewildered look crossing her face. "What is it?"

"Seven minutes," Raven's countdown continued on the PA, but Bellamy barely heard it. The pounding of his heart was so deafening that he started to wonder if Clarke could actually hear it.

"I—"

His voice was suddenly caught in his throat. Damn it! Bellamy cursed in his mind. This was harder than he thought it would be.

He must have looked so stupid standing there. Clarke, Abby, even Jackson and Miller, were all staring at him expectantly.

"Six minutes," the countdown droned on.

He dragged his legs forward, going nearer to where Clarke was standing. She was now looking at him questioningly.

"Clarke, I.." He tried again. 

"I love you," Bellamy finally let out. "All of me.. all of me is for you. Can you still accept it?"

The sincerity in Bellamy's voice rendered her speechless. Suddenly, Clarke was having a hard time breathing as she struggled to process what was happening. She nodded ever so slightly.

"And Clarke, for the first time, my heart and my head both desire the same thing," Bellamy continued. "Only you and you only."

"Four minutes," Raven's voice continued.

Tears started to well up in Clarke's eyes. If she was expecting something it wasn't this.

"Bellamy, I—" Clarke couldn't speak."Y-Yeah." But she didn't need to.

Bellamy had moved to close the distance between them, his hands suddenly tight around her waist, and she met his eager lips with her parted ones. 

She was kissing him the way she had never kissed anyone before. She tried to put everything into the kiss, all those years of longing, all the love, even forgiveness, and Bellamy was returning it with the same intensity.

"Two minutes," Raven's voice reminded, with a little more urgency this time around.

They were breathless when they pulled away. Clarke suddenly became aware of their surroundings. She didn't want to look at her mom.

Bellamy cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry," he said apologetically to Abby. 

She only waved his apology away.

"It's not a problem," Abby said. "In fact, that was long overdue."

Clarke and Bellamy chuckled shyly.

"Uhm, guys?" Miller suddenly chimed in. "Don't get me wrong, this is all cute and everything but I hate to break it to you, we need to move somewhere safe if we do not want to topple over with the impact."

"One minute," Raven boomed. 

Clarke could almost here an edge in her voice, as if she was restraining from mentioning her and Bellamy over the PA.

"You guys rush to Main, I'm going to the Cryo with Marcus," Abby said.

"Mom I—"

"We'll stay with your Mom," Jackson assured her. 

"Thanks," Clarke said, before she and Bellamy sprinted hand in hand into the corridor headed to the Main room.

"Thirty-five seconds."

Bellamy hastily pushed the red button and the metal doors sprang open to let them in.

"Wew. You two surely took your time," Raven said annoyingly. She looked back at them and saw their flustered faces and intertwined hands.

Raven raised her eyebrows and smirked.

"Scratch that, I'm glad you did."

Bellamy saw Madi at the center of the room. She looked back at him with a triumphant grin. Clarke failed to notice it because she was positioning herself on the metal floor.

"Twenty seconds," Shaw said, taking over the countdown. Raven was still smiling from ear to ear.

"It really took them a hundred and twenty-five years to realize," she murmured, shaking her head. "I knew it back when they were just practically standing next to each other at camp."

"You were saying?" Shaw wondered.

"It's nothing," Raven said distractedly. "Ten seconds to descent."

Bellamy tightened his grasp on the grab rail. He didn't let Clarke use the one that was too far from him. Instead, she was left to hold on to nothing, but his strong arm was tight around her waist. She leaned onto him for support.

"Three. Two. One."

Raven pushed the lever with all her might. Eligius IV hurtled towards the unknown planet at an unimaginable speed. It was as if the planet was willing to let them in.

Clarke buried her face into Bellamy's chest. She had almost forgotten the gut-wrenching feeling of descent. She had to remind herself that everything was alright. That they would eventually land in one piece.

Because after all, not all kinds of falls were meant to break you, Clarke thought as she inhaled Bellamy's familiar scent. There was the one kind that actually made you whole.

Finally, the agony had stopped. They have landed. Bellamy got up first, and he pulled Clarke up with him. Since they were the last ones to come in, Bellamy had the easiest access to the doors first.

"You stay here, Princess," he started to say. "You too, Madi." He added, once he noticed Madi hastily removing her safety belts.

"You both stay here with the rest until me and the scout team could make sure that the area is clear," he said.

"But we are scout team, too," Clarke argued.

"Well, it's different now," Bellamy said with a wink. "I have all the right to stop your reckless tendencies."

Clarke groaned.

"No, seriously. We'd be back before you know it, okay?" He said gently, kissing her lightly on the forehead.

"Bellamy," Murphy suddenly said. "Take my spare gun."

"Thanks," he said as he took it. "Security would be on standby as planned."

Murphy nodded.

"C'mon," Bellamy ordered, and the rest of the scouts had followed him out of the corridor towards the main door.

Bellamy was about to push down the lever that would open the ship when he heard Clarke suddenly scurrying towards them.

"Stop!" She yelled. 

Bellamy's hand froze on the lever. He looked back at her with a half-amused expression on his face.

"Why do I have this funny feeling that we've been through this before?" He asked.

Clarke shrugged, smiling knowingly.

"Is it bad to want to do everything together from now on?" She asked him.

Bellamy's eyes softened.

"No..No of course not," he said, finally giving in. "But you should know, Princess, that I'd protect you with my life."

Clarke smiled.

"I love you," she mouthed to him.

Bellamy paused for a second.

"Wow. You have no idea how amazing that actually felt," he admitted.

"Have you opened the damn door?" Raven's impatient voice blasted from Bellamy's handheld radio.

They giggled.

"Hey easy, we're on it," he said. 

Clark placed her hand over Bellamy's, and together, they pulled the lever. The heavy metal door sprang open, causing a light draft to enter the ship. 

Bellarmy and Clarke squinted at the sudden brightness. They walked out of the ship hand in hand, with the rest of the scouts following closely behind them.

It seemed like they had walked into Clarke's drawing. The ship had landed on a grassy area enclosed by an extremely leafy forest. They couldn't see very far from where they were standing because everything was too bright, but it was enough to make out succeeding mountainous terrains before them. The scouts immediately started to roam around the perimeter.

"It's.. It's beautiful," Clarke said breathlessly.

Bellamy turned to look at Clarke, bathed in the orange and golden light.

"Yeah.." He agreed, not taking his eyes off her. 

"Is this..finally home?" She whispered.

Bellamy let out a ragged breath. He didn't know how to answer to that. He himself wasn't so sure where he belonged anymore. They had been jumping to and fro from space to the ground then back to space again.

But home wasn't necessarily a place. Because if it was, he lost it a long time ago when the Ark had burst into flames.

Bellamy was once a seemingly wandering soul, who chose any road that he thought would be best for his sister, and was occasionally lost at the points where the right and the wrong would intersect.

But that was until he walked into love with Clarke.

Clarke was the one who steered him into the right direction, the one who taught him to listen to the signals of his heart.

It didn't take a long time for him to find safety in her touch and rest in her eyes.

That's when he knew that home..home can be a person, too.

"I guess it doesn't really matter what we call home," he finally replied after a long while. "The Ark, the Ground, or even this unexplored paradise."

He looked at Clarke dead in the eye, with the same intensity that didn't waver after all these years.

"I'm always home as long as you're with me," he whispered, tucking strands of hair behind her ear.

Clarke nodded tearfully.

"I'm glad I'm finally home, too," she whispered back as she gently cupped his face.

Bellamy leaned in, pressing his lips against hers.

It was their first otherworld kiss.

_FIN._


End file.
